Whew...

Hi again. I feel like I spent all of May just trying to catch up and in order to make myself feel better, I back dated all of my posts so that it looked like I had my act together. Ha! At least I will think that next year when I am reading thru the posts again. :) Excuse my randomness but it's been bottled up inside for so long....:)

Life has been super busy here! I FINALLY got full time hours on June 1st and the kids are loving their summer break. I was (and still am) a little sad that I don't get to be home with the kids this summer but I have decided to look at it in a positive light. This is Scott's summer. For the last 6 years I have had the chance to be home with them most of the time while I worked from home, worked at night or was jobless. I loved every minute I had with them and I know that our  bond is stronger because of those years. I am glad that Scott's schedule allows him to be home more now though I wish he felt better.

I have also come to cherish my weekends again. I have worked so many weekends because of the coffeehouses, that it didn't mean much in terms of relaxation but I have been reminded how precious that time can be. We are packing in as much fun as we can from Friday night to late Sunday night so I can enjoy our summer break too.

Also, I am working on a budget now that I will actually have a consistent paycheck. I am sooo thankful for a job. We have learned to go without basic things for so long that once you get them back, they are amazing! Oh, the things we take for granted...but, I am struggling with our food part of our budget. We have 7 people to feed and I have never been very good at couponing. It is overwhelming for me and I just don't know where to start. Does anyone have any advice?

Mom is doing well and has been making dinner for us almost every night during the week. She has it ready for me when I get home and during the day she is busy baking cakes, breads, biscuits and more. I don't rem. her cooking and baking so much the last time we lived with her. But, that last time I was working 7am-10pm every day so we only saw each other at the coffeehouse or when I was home to pass out. Man...that was rough. Can I just say that I have had some very tough working/living conditions over the past 8 years and actually as far back as 96? Whew....I have become one tough cookie....but that's cause I have to be...but that's another post...

I was reminded why I have the best job in the world last week. And by job, I mean bonus mom. I have this great relationship with my kiddos that is motherly. I nurture them, love them, support them, guide them, discipline them, motivate them and influence them. I am a mommy to them. I am not replacing anyone but enhancing their life with their daddy. And, on the other side of that, is our friendship. They all know that I chose them. I made the decision to marry their daddy and I married them too. I made a commitment to them and have kept that promise thru thick and thin and they have seen and felt my promise to them as well. I have the best of both worlds because I get to be their mom as well as their friend. The friend part doesn't mean I don't discipline or act like the parent that I am, it just seems to open doors. One example of this is their bedtime routine. This has changed many times over the past few years but one consistent part is that they want to talk. Since we have been in the loft, we all go hang out in their room, with the overhead lights off, and we talk about our week, our day, our frustrations, our embarrassing moments, our joys and our fears. It is awesome. They all participate and they ask for it at night. Just this week on their way to bed, Noah asked me if I was coming in and of course my answer was yes. Even when I am exhausted, I can't say no to my 12 yr old son asking for me to spend time with him. I hear stories about boys at this age and how they pull away but if he wants to hang out with me who am I to argue? :)

All of that to say, I just really like my kids! I am very thankful for their hearts and for their lives. They make me a better person and I look forward to seeing them every day. So, no matter what junk is going on with our co-parenting experience I can always say that they were one of the best decisions of my life! And, while this post has no photos, I was just given permission by Noah to keep taking photos! ha! He said he really likes being able to see himself as a little kid and that my photos help him remember the past. Then he commented on how I had left my camera behind on our last few adventures and that I needed to get busy taking photos. Awesome! Now, there will be no apologizing....heehee

Thanks for staying with me thru my rambles....time for bed!

P.S. I didn't even mention that May was Lyme disease awareness month or that Scott is back on an oral antibiotic treatment for babesia....Lyme is rearing its ugly head again but he is pushing thru. He pretty much rocks.